Love Hina: The Fortress of Solitude
by A.C.C
Summary: A reworking of the Love Hina series. Pairing to be decided. What happens to the household when Motoko finds out that Keitaro has been living a secret life away from Hinata?
1. Chapter 1: A Rethinking, of Sorts

Disclaimer: I don't own LH and yada yada yada

Well, this is my first real posted attempt. Previous attempts have usually ended with me stopping soon after starting off. Hopefully, I'll actually finish this one.

I plan to use certain Japanese phrases in this story, such as the honorary title "sempai" but overall, I will limit that, as I personally feel it detracts. So you'll just have to deal with my hypocrisy as a writer. P

So feel free to flame away. It's a new spin on the story. Sort of, but not really. This doesn't fit in with the canon, but it rather my own story with the characters. I write informally, so don't expect a novel. P My goal is for a non-OOC experience where you can add to their character without interrupting the normal flow of household antics. The shift in personalities will occur later.

I use my own style of I find it easier to read personally, and I hope it helps you readers too.

"x" – verbal or written speech, depending on usage

'_italicized_' – thoughts

(x) - onomatopoeia or describes of sounds or location decription

Chapter one: A Rethinking, of Sorts.

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(Keitaro Urashima's room)

sounds of frantic scribbling on paper This room is that of Keitaro Urashima, manager of an all-girls dorm, Hinata Sou, in the small town of Hinata. The purpose of the scribbling, being a practice exam for the Tokyo University entrance exam.

Keitaro Urashima, aged 20, has thus far failed the entrance exam two years in a row, a testing ronin. His medium length black hair, calm brown eyes, and boyish face rarely reveal the frustration that builds up inside from the many demands of life.

'_Just what the hell is wrong with this problem?_' he ponders as he drops the pencil onto the table in dejection. The problem seemed simple enough, calculate the amount of water that could be added to a glass of water as the water is cooled from 100 Celsius to 30 Celsius. Keitaro has been studying similar problems for the past two years, but each time there are always overlooked factors that lead to incorrect answers.

Looking up at the ceiling, he thinks, 'I _bet Naru figured this problem out already_,' in reference to the top ranked girl who lives in the room above. For all her random jumping to conclusion and attacks on him, Keitaro had to admit she had a way with properly analyzing academic test questions. 'If only she could apply that academic knowledge to real life, maybe I wouldn't get hit so much. Guess education doesn't always _educate_.' Lightly chuckling at his own joke, Keitaro stands up to stretch and take a break from the studying.

Walking over to the balcony, he stares out at the beautiful forest behind the dorm and the canvas of blue skies and green trees immediately calm his nerves. He rarely expressed public dissatisfaction, instead choosing to bottle up his emotions, and is always highly critical of his own actions. This combination leads to great amounts of stress, but he keeps it under control, somehow. The tenants would see him take walks into the forest or sit on the roof staring blankly into the sky, but they never understood how he needed these walks to maintain self control. Internally, he wants to be the guy who is always nice and jovial, but even he is only human, subject to the emotions of loneliness, disappointment, and frustration. In the rare instances where he did lose control of his emotions, he always came to regret hurting the feelings of others. It wasn't that he was incorrect in his assessments, but he never liked hurting other people, no matter how wrong that person was.

'_Well, it doesn't seem like I'll be getting anymore work done today. I'll ask Naru about that problem later at dinner, hopefully she can help me out_,' he thinks to himself as he continues staring out at the picturesque scene before him. Keitaro can feel the stress building up inside of him from the many demands this week has placed upon him, from studying to repairing the extensive damage left by the youngest dorm resident and scientific genius, Kaolla Su. Finally deciding that he'll spend the rest of the afternoon away from the dorm and just try to relax for the upcoming week, he grabs a key from his drawer and heads into town.

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(Elsewhere: In Kyoto)

"Motoko, you really have to find a hobby or something. Practicing too much will only lead to stagnation. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing," says Tsuruko Aoyama as she walks to halls of the great dojo with her younger sister Motoko. Tsuruko always worried to herself that her young sister would overwork and burn out before mastering the art. Motoko forsake all things besides from necessary schooling to practice and hone her sword skills, in the hopes of taking over the family school of martial arts, the Shinmeiryuu. Tsuruko had been the heir in line, but she had chosen to marry and give up the title. This was the one thing Motoko could never understand about her otherwise perfect sister, why a master would give up the sword for a useless man.

"Easy for you to say, Aneue (older sister). Unlike you, I did not master the family techniques when I was 14. I have yet to reach the same level as you did when you were four years younger than I am now!" rebutted Motoko. Tsuruko had been the fastest learner within the family for several decades, and she had mastered by 16 what took others 40 years or even lifetimes to learn.

"Motoko, honestly, you have to relax. Trying too hard will only hinder your training," insisted Tsuruko.

"I have no other interests besides from perfecting my skills in the sword," replied Motoko confidently. At this, Tsuruko remained silent as the two contined in silence

'This is worse than I thought,' thought Tsuruko with a slight touch of humor. 'Oh well, this should be fun though, trying random things to find something for Motoko.' Suddenly grabbing Motoko's hand, Tsuruko starts running towards the garage, laughing maniacally with thoughts of many crazed activities. "I hope you've gotten over your dislike of skirts, Motoko!"

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(Dojo in the hills overlooking Tokyo)

The sounds of metal hitting metal and air being displaced. clink clink clinkclink slash whoosh clink

"Very good, Aokaze!" exclaimed the instructor, a 70 year old man dressed in the garments of a monk. Stepping off the tatami mats, he beckons the youngster to follow as he walks towards the sparring hall exit.

Exitting into the beautiful sunshine and the picturesque scenery of the mountains, the man continues his evaluation. "You've improved immeasurably over this past year, faster than your stellar growth previously! Even your aunt was never as quick of a learner as you are."

"Grandpa, you're just kidding. I'm sure the emotional ties are clouding your judgement," Aokaze jokes as they walk in step.

"No grandson, I'm serious. You've mastered by age 20, what took me til 30. You've already surpassed the normal limits of martial arts training. At this rate, you'll learn everything I have to offer in my 70 years of life in 50, if not less. Absolutely remarkable… you still have quite a ways to go though. So don't slack off. Even though you want to leave the dojo to sister, you still must develop your talent. It's a shame to let talent be wasted."

"Yes, grandfather, I will uphold the honor of the family name."

"Good, now lets go get some food, before you head home. Your grandmother made kobe beef teriyaki today," says the elder man as the two continue discussing the day to day events of each.

"So, when are you going to bring a girlfriend here to visit?"

"Grandpa!"

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(Later that day in Tokyo)

Urashima Keitaro has been wandering around, looking for a shop he saw in the yellow pages. Rounding corner after corner, he just can't seem to find where it is.

'_I wish the girls would help me buy stuff for the house every once in a while. Then they'd undersand how hard it is to find equipment sometimes. GRRRRRR WHERE IS THIS PLACE!'_

After asking a police officer and wandering around for another 10 minutes, he finally found it, a small little store with the sign reading "Hot Springs Cleaning Supplies." _'I even waste my free time searching for ways to clean the hotsprings faster... And I never even get to use it... Owell... At least I can hope they'll appreciate all my hardwork.'_

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(Hinata Sou)

"Where are you, IDIOT!" Naru shouts as she tries to figure out where Keitaro went.

"Naru, take a chill pill," says Kitsune as Naru walks by. "What's the big rush, anyways?"

"I have a date tonight and I want to use the hot springs, but the idiot hasn't cleaned it yet. How can I look and feel my best without using the hotspring? But it's sorta filthy since the last cleaning and he's supposed to have cleaned it today!"

Trying to calm down her friend, Kitsune tells her, "You know he never cleans until after dinner; it's only 2 right now. Cut him some slack, why doncha? It's not like he didn't clean it; it's just that he hasn't gotten around to it yet."

Unable to argue with the logic, Naru just fumes "Well, he should know better! Screw it, I'm just going to go take a shower. If he comes back, tell that pervert not to walk in on me!" and then stalks back up to her room. Kitsune merely chuckles at her friend's antics before going back to the horse race on TV. "Go Lucky Seven! Bring momma's rent in! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE! GOOO!"

camera pans out to a shot of Hinata Sou as we hear "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

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(somewhere in the mountains around Tokyo)

The view is perfect as Tsuruko and Motoko climb up a mountain side, dressed in their hakama and giis while carrying climbing backpacks. Motoko, having rejected every proposal of activities from Tsuruko, finally decided that taking a hike would be acceptable. While Tsuruko was hoping Motoko would enjoy the scenery, Motoko was thinking otherwise.

'_This place would be perfect to practice in. It has everything from clearings to dense foliage, and best of all, it's isolated from the rest of the world including the Shinmeiryuu. No one would ever know to find me up here. Thanks sister, maybe this hike wasn't a completely horrible idea after all.'_

The two continued their hike, with Motoko always talking about training, and Tsuruko trying to change the subject to anything other than training. This continued on, as the two entered a forest, where both suddenly noted cleanly cut down trees. Thinking they'd entered a logging area, they thought nothing of it and continued on. Clearing the forest however, both were suddenly met with the sight of a giant fortress. The fortress, while immense in size, was not tall by any means, staying below the height of the trees surrounding it.

At once, conversation stopped as they both stood in awe of the magnificent place before them. Motoko's mind was curious with thought as to what this place was. '_Most definitely, it is a dojo or palace of some ancient lineage. It would make sense that this is a dojo, as it would explain the fallen trees back in the forest, a training ground.'_

Tsuruko, suddenly remembering part of the history taught to her, started explaining to Motoko. "Sister… this may be the house of the Ancients…"

"House of the Ancients?" interrupted Motoko as she had never heard of it.

"Yes. The house was supposedly made of a family that dedicated itself to saving humanity from evil, whether it be the evil of demons or humanity itself. They were told to live in a giant fortress that was hidden within the forest. Supposedly, the family was comprised of both samurai and ninjas during the feudal time, thus giving intimate knowledge of both disciplines… I know it seems strange that samurai would associate with ninjas, but the story told to me was that a great love between the male hair of the samurai and a skilled female ninja that led to this. How romantic… even in the feudal times… love conquers all…"

"Hmph," said Motoko. "A samurai who allows his heart to dictate shows weakness. What if the ninja had been sent to take his life? He would have risked his entire family over his stupid personal feelings."

"Motoko, you don't get the point of the story… love comes in many ways, not always in the way we envision. Those two were so in love that they risked condemnation by EVERYONE, and still they loved and challenged. Someday, you will understand this. Anyways, back to the story. The myth is that the house exists to this day and that it's people are always in the shadow, keeping the forces of evil at bay. Since they excel in the ways of the ninja, they are rarely heard of and spoken of usually as myth."

"Well then, lets see if this myth is truly a myth or reality!" says a determined Motoko, as she walks off towards the main gate. Tsuruko, curious herself, follows suit. Arriving at a large steel-reinforced wood gate, they pound loudly upon the door, cautious of any movement.

Suddenly, a man's voice is heard from above them, "Why, hello there! What brings you here?"

Tsuruko replies, "We found this fortresss in our hike, and wished to see whether or not this is truly the house of the ancients."

"Ah. Well, indeed you are right, miss." Shouting down, he adds "Open the gates for our lovely guests! And tell my wife we have two female visitors from the Shinmeiryuu." Tsuruko and Motoko are in shock, hearing how the old man knows they are of the Aoyama lineage. Suddenly, a creaking is heard as the giant doors swing open to reveal numerous warriors lined up in a ceremonial fashion along the entranceway.

The old man, who was moments ago high at the top of the fortress, suddenly drops down in front of them, greeting the sisters with a smile.

"Welcome! Welcome! Please come in!" he exclaims as he leads them inside the fortress.

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(An hour later)

"So you are the leader of the house?" asks Motoko as the old man brings them a pot of tea. The three had just settled into the kitchen after having toured the entire complex. Before the man can answer, however, his wife, aged but clearly once beautiful in her youth, enters with a tray of baked cookies. "I hope you like these!" she says as she sets the platter on the table before sitting down herself.

Now with the four seated and with drinks and snacks before them, Tsuruko and Motoko begin their questions anew.

"Is this truly the house of the ancients?" inquires Tsuruko.

The old man replies in the affirmative, "Yes, we are the ones written of in myths and fables. And yes, Motoko dear, I am the current leader. And this is my wife, Kyoko Aoyama. You may have heard of her."

Shocked once again, the sisters look at each other in disbelief. Sensing their questioning, the woman says, "Yes, it is truly I. I'm sure you were told stories that I had disappeared mysteriously but that is only half the truth. Here, if you don't believe me, watch this. It's a party trick of mine." Picking up a butter knife from the countertop, she says "Hiken Zankuusen!" as she waves at the cookie on her plate, breaking it neatly in two with her Ki attack. "Remember in your training, it's not the sword, but the individual." She sets the knife down and rejoins them at the table.

"You truly are the great master Kyoko!" says Motoko in amazement. Only a few members, including Tsuruko, were ever able to channel their ki effectively through objects as small as a butter knife. "Why did you ever leave the dojo? You could have lived a married life while still instructing the new generation."

While waiting for her answer, however, Motoko is suddenly surprised by a vaguely familiar face printed on her cup. Interrupting Kyoko, she asks "Who is this?" as she points to the picture on the cup. "He looks like someone I've met before."

"Oh!" exclaims Kyoko, "that's our grandson! Isn't he just adorable? Such a skilled fighter too! Everyone here calls him Aokaze."

"The blue wind… interesting as Aoyama is the blue mountain," observed Tsuruko.

"Haha," chuckles the man, before he speaks. "Yes, that was part of the reason. When Aokaze was young, he was always quite introverted. He was questioning little child though, incredibly bright. Well, one day he asked soo many questions, that your great aunt here said jokingly 'You know you can't wear me down! No matter how hard the wind blows, the mountain shall never bow! Aokaze!' And that's how the nickname caught on. Here's the kicker though!" the old man barely able to control his laughter at this point. "After she said that, he asked 'Doesn't wind and blue water wear down the mountain though? Like erosion?'" At this point the husband and wife both start laughing uncontrollably, as Tsuruko and Motoko cannot help but join in the laughter.

Motoko, however, still has a thought in the back of her mind. '_So Aokaze is a nickname…Where have I seen this person before? He almost looks like Urashima without his glasses on…'_

Once the laughter had subsided, Motoko pushed once more, "Aokaze is his nickname, but what's your family name and his real name?"

"Us? We're the Urashima family. And his real name? It's Keitaro Urashima."

End of Chapter 1

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I know….. it's really bad… Hahaha… I just couldn't get it sound the way I wanted it too…. I keep picturing it in my mind like a movie, but I can't get it on paper. Anyways, hope its somewhat enjoyable. The future is still to come.

Huh... sorry about that... uploading deleted all my grammatical remarks, I fixed what i caught, more may be missing, tell me whats up.

reviews/critiques welcome


	2. Chapter 2: Mr and Mr Shocked

Hey there. Oh man…. Hahaha

Rereading chapter 1 after uploading, I started noticing all the horrible grammatical errors… ayyy. It's funny how so much of that stuff just slips by until it's made public…

Well, since I've made up my mind to write this story just to tell the tale that resides in my mind, I'm not going to apologize for my style. P Sometimes randomly, I'll just have something in life that provides motivation for me to write; some small detail or daydream of life that makes me go "hmmm" haha.

Anyways, so sorry to those who read this story under my kei/mot premise. I've decided I want to change it up a bit, so I won't be announcing the final pairing just yet. This doesn't mean it will or won't still be KeiMot, but you'll just have to see. I think not having affirmation towards who it is or isn't always helps to keep the reader more involved. It's like a movie. While you may end up being pretty sure 3/4 of the way in, you feel emotionally attached to the character as they go through the ups and downs.

Those of you hoping for a ninja/fighting/adventure story, sorry to disappoint but this isn't that type of story. I'm aiming for a romantic story, deep and angsty or light and fluffy is undecided as of yet. I'll just play it by heart.

Oh, and I will be satirizing or alluding to American culture/movies at times, so readers of other nationalities may be confused at times. I hope it's all clear, but if you're reading a part and don't really get my humor, it may be that. Consider this sort of a Lost in Translation style American/Japanese culture story. P

_Flashback:_

'_It's impossible though. But I have to ask to make sure. The man does look quite familiar… I don't know why…'_

_Once the laughter had subsided, Motoko pushed once more, "Aokaze is his nickname, but what's your family name and his real name?"_

"_Us? We're the Urashima family. And his real name? It's Keitaro Urashima."_

**Chapter 2: Mr. and Ms Shocked?**

At the mention of Keitaro's name as a brilliant martial artist, the ever calm Tsuruko suddenly choked on her tea and Motoko merely froze up.

While frozen externally, internally Motoko's mind turned from shock to humor. '_What? Urashima, a brilliant martial artist? HAH what the hell, aneue… if that's the best your fabled House of Ancients has got, then it's better to be only remembered as a myth. Urashima, powerful descendant and heir to the mythical ancients; that's a riot'_

Sensing something was the matter, the man patted Tsuruko's back as she coughed before asking, "Is something wrong, young one? Do you two know Keitaro?"

Tsuruko, ever the cunning woman, realized this was the time to learn more about the true capabilities of Keitaro. Unlike her sister, she knew to never underestimate a person, even if said person had never shown any fighting abilities what so ever. Thinking quickly, she thought of a way to probe for information. Telling half-lies, she skirted the events leading to the history. "Yes, I've met him before. I saw him in a duel, but he did not display any skills during the fight. I'm just surprised, that's all. I don't know, could you explain that to me? I'm just confused as to why a skilled fighter would act as if he didn't know how to fight after issuing a challenge."

Kyoko chose to respond to this as she was able to read right through the false pretense; Tsuruko wasn't the only manipulative and cunning woman in the Aoyama line. Consider their mental aptitudes and beauty as more characteristic than their sword fighting abilities. "You're side stepping the issue, aren't you? We in this house have nothing to hide, and we reveal all when asked. The least you could do for your hosts is to be completely forthcoming." This comment caught Tsuruko off guard, and her facial expression betrayed her motives for a split second. "I'll tell you the truth though. And this is one of the reasons I left to live in the forest here, the pursuit of truth and honesty between people. Society has become so politically correct and subversive through half-truths and lies. Keitaro is one of the most powerful ever in our history, but he doesn't like combat. Ever since he was little, he's always believed in talking to solve problems. He isn't naive by any stretch though, as he realizes physical violence is required at times, but chooses to avoid conflict whenever possible. Keitaro would never challenge a person to duel unless it was over a matter of grave importance, and if it was, he would never have held back. There's always a reasoning behind his ways, Tsuruko. I'm sure the truth behind the situation you told us will reveal it. We here are lucky though, Keitaro's sister is just as skilled and has agreed to take over the academy since Keitaro doesn't want to."

At this point, Tsuruko and Motoko kept quiet, silently digesting the information, questioning the man they thought they had known.

Seeing the dour mood, the grandfather tried to lighten up the mood. "Oh, Kyoko… dear, they were just worried we would think they were prying about our grandson. Cut them some slack. I remember a young samurai once who tricked me into a date when I just wanted to get my sword mended in town. All you Aoyama women are the same, conniving and beautiful." This elicited a blush from all three women present. "I will tell you one possible additional reason though; Keitaro has problems with women. Well, he doesn't really have problems with all women, just ones with violent tendencies. When he was younger, his adopted sister Kanako would tell him she loved him as more than a brother. She's gotten past that now, but you can imagine how awkward that was. And now that he's manager of Hina's Inn, he's been attacked ceaselessly by those so called friends. As a noble man who would never hit a woman, think how hard it is for him to deal with constantly being attacked. I honestly don't even know why he stays there. I'd love to give those girls a piece of my mind, but I'm sure you two don't want to hear my rantings. Anyways, all this has led to Keitaro's clumsiness whenever confronted by an emotional or violent girl because he doesn't want to get hurt yet won't defend himself for fear of hurting the girl." Hearing the grandfather's explaination, Motoko could not help but wince at the accusations towards the residents that she knew were true.

However at hearing Hina being mentioned, Motoko suddenly had another line of thought in her head. "Wait… what about Hina? Isn't she the Urashima grandmother of Keitaro?"

"Oh, she's from the other side. It just so happens Keitaro's parents both have the surname Urashima, completely unrelated to us though. It's sort of like you and that motorcycle racer Hiroshi Aoyama. He isn't a member of your family, now is he? It's just a common surname."

"True," replied Motoko. While still doubtful in her mind about the physical prowess of Keitaro, she knew what the man had just told her was truth.

After more talking of various topics, mostly involving Keitaro, Tsuruko and Motoko decided it was time to take leave. As they walked towards the entrance, the grandfather, in his jovial spirits and with a twinkle in his eye, said, "You know, Motoko, you'd make a great partner to Keitaro. If only you'd meet him, you'd see the kind person he is. I think you two would look lovely together." Kyoko suddenly elbowed him, but he continued on. "Tsuruko, you could arrange a meeting, couldn't you?" At this Tsuruko nodded with a mischievous smile, formulating another one of her "fool proof" plans.

"Don't mind him, Motoko," advised Kyoko. "He just wants Keitaro to find a girlfriend. Kei's always studying and hasn't had many experiences dating."

Approaching the main gate, Tsuruko has one last question to ask before leaving. "I have a final question, if you don't mind." She waits for the Urashimas to nod before continuing. "Why does your family remain hidden in the forest? Why do you not live in society and show the world that you truly exist and are here to protect humanity? As visible enforcers, you could have a great effect upon injustice." It had been a question weighing on her mind since she was little and had first heard the story of the mythical people.

As they all stepped out into the forest, the grandfather tells her the reasoning. "We do walk amongst society; we just do not reveal ourselves as warriors like your school does. Our people live and work as normal people in society, but we believe in a different way of combat. We are, much the way of Superman and Batman, those American cartoons. I know…just bear with me. I love it when I get to explain this to new visitors since we have so few. But yes, we believe in fighting evil not as a person, but as an ideal. As a person, you can be killed and forgotten about. As an ideal, you strike fear into the hearts of criminals throughout the ages. And as such, we live much the way of Clark Kent. During the day, we are just normal people; it is only under cover that we become supermen." Kyoko elbows him. "Oww, and superwomen too. Well, I shan't stop you anymore. I trust you will keep to secrecy about this place, Shinmeiryuu sisters."

Saying their goodbyes, the sisters start on their trek back to Tokyo. Both are silent on the walk back to their respective homes as they silently reflect upon the completely new Urashima Keitaro in their minds.

'_Urashima… Clark Kent?'_

(Hinata Sou)

"I'm home!" announced Motoko as she walked through the doorway.

"Motoko-sempai, dinner's ready! We're all gathered in the dining room," said Shinobu.

Motoko enters to see everyone sitting at the table, conversing in loud voices. Su, hyperactive as always, is jumping around while waiting for Motoko so they can start eating. "Hurry up Motoko! I'm hungrryyyyyy."

Taking the remaining seat next to Keitaro, Motoko quickly apologizes for being late. Immediately Su shouts "OK! LETS EAT!" and begins to dig in with her voracious appetite as everyone just laughs before picking up their bowls. The dinner is another treat of Shinobu's with perfectly steamed salmon as the main dish.

While the household eats merrily with constant conversation, Motoko merely sits silently.

'_Why won't he defend himself?' _she ponders to herself, as she tries to rationalize his past years at Hinata Sou. She takes careful notice of his actions, looking for any show of the legendary powers. Finding nothing, she decides to forget about it for the time being, and joins in with the conversation around her.

After dinner is finished, everyone starts to stand up, when Shinobu motions for everyone to stay seated. In her meek, timid voice, she quietly announces, "Everyone please. I made a new dessert that I want you all to try." At this point, Keitaro has already walked to the door and is just out of earshot. Upon seeing her manager continue leaving, Shinobu starts to sniffle, drawing the attention of Naru.

"YOU INCONSIDERATE JERK!" Naru yells out at Keitaro as she chases after him. Not realizing what had occurred, he turns around only to be meet with a Naru-punch that sends him ricocheting around the living room, until he shoots back into the dining room, landing in a pile against the wall. Satisfied with her work, Naru sits back down as she asks Shinobu to continue.

Looking at the event with her newfound knowledge of Keitaro, Motoko is still baffled by his behavior. Any normal person would defend themselves, and yet the supposedly powerful warrior does nothing. '_This doesn't make any sense. I mean… he doesn't even have to do anything. He just needs to block or move aside. I'm sure his training has taught him something useful. Why would he just keep getting hit? Where is his training! All these years and his supposed training is still never shown. He gets beat all the time and does nothing. It's like he isn't even the Keitaro Urashima the old man told us about.'_

Unbeknownst to Motoko, a similar train of thought went through Keitaro's head for the n-th time. '_Man… that punch just keeps getting more and more powerful. It's like she's getting a full sparring session each time she hits me. Dang, that'll leave me sore. Good thing my family has a trait for healing, so sore is all it'll be. But seriously… I didn't even hear Shinobu, and suddenly it's my fault as usual. I wish I'd gotten out of the way of that one.' _Standing up, Keitaro apologizes to Shinobu before taking his seat and continuing on his ponderings. '_Ah…I know though… each time it's the same. Each time I want to, but I know it's not worth possibly getting noticed by Motoko. The only reason she's even somewhat okay with a male here is because she thinks I'm weak and spineless. If she caught me redhanded using my training, I bet she and Naru would somehow rally the support to get me kicked out.' _His mood darkening internally, he puts on a fake smile while his mind just blanks out to the world around him.

The dessert turns out to be a rich chocolate cake, which while good, makes everyone incredibly thirsty. Motoko, seeing an opportunity to test Keitaro's abilities, goes to help Shinobu get water for everyone. Returning with several bottles of water, Motoko uncaps them all before walking into the room. After she has distributed water to the girls, Motoko walks back to her seat next to Keitaro. As she nears him, Motoko pretends to trip, releasing her grip on the bottle of water. Just to make sure his attention is further attracted, she whispers just loud enough for him to hear, "Aokaze!"

Registering Motoko trip and upon suddenly hearing his nickname, the lost in thought Keitaro instinctively catches the opened water bottle just before it hits the ground. The second he does though, he realizes that it was a trap and releases his grip, dropping the bottle. As the bottle strikes the ground and spills out its contents, Motoko's and Keitaro's minds are racing.

As the others shout in surprise at Keitaro's purported carelessness, the two suddenly shout in unison, "I'll get some towels!" before running upstairs to their respective rooms.

Chapter 2 End

I know, it's short and bleh. But I figured I'd try and get something posted up. This is really a background chapter just to continue setting the stage. Expect chapter 3 to showcase my actual story.

Oh, and the real reason I wanted to post this up is because I have an idea in my mind. Well, it's more of a daydream I had, and I think it'd go great with Keitaro. But just to make sure I have the motivation to write it, I'm trying to get myself to writing it down ASAP.


End file.
